I don't believe in segmenting films: Bengali actor Deb

Kolkata: Not spilling the beans over his role in 'Chander Pahar', based on classic Bengali novelist Bibhutibhusan Bandyopadhyay's popular novel for children, his first foray into the genre of arthouse films, Tollywood superstar Deb said he did not believe in segmenting films.

"My role in Khoka 420 as a driver is no less important to me where I steer a big passenger bus from road curves to safety. Isn't that challenging enough?" Deb told PTI on location of the film today.

Refusing to buy the argument that there would be more acting chance in art house or realistic films, Deb said "am I not here because of directors like Rajib Kumar?"

"I am doing the third film Khoka 420, produced by Eskay Movies, with Rajib, who had earlier given string of hits like Dujoney and Paglu. I believe people can connect easily with the storyline of masala flicks. Aren't over 80 per cent of the audience here are more attuned to masala entertainers?," Deb said.

Asked if he had lesser appetite for other genre of films, Deb said "it is not so. But you can't do without package entertainment as in Khoka 420, which is a pure entertainer with equal dollops of family emotion, drama, action and comedy."

Deb, who was shooting for a sequence of the movie where he would bless a newly-wed couple, said such boy next door characters are more identifiable to the masses and age becomes a factor for such roles as you cannot hold on to the same position as star for long.

You can act in other genre films at a later phase. But you cannot hold the age. So I can t give up my usp, my masala films for which masses can connect with me. This is not a game of one day or one year. After 20 years I can look back and see what I had done, he said.

However, the Le Chakka actor is also keen to see how the Chander Pahar phase unfolds.

Director Rajiv said Deb will steer a bus to safety after the passengers come face to face with death and this would be the first time a Tollywood hero or probably any superstar from Bollywood will driver a bus in real life.

We don't want to depend on body double. Deb will work things out. There are some action sequences henceforth not seen in Bengali films, he said.